The moment I found a book with Greek Mythology I just had to pick it up and I'm glad Outrun the Wind did not disappoint. Outrun the Wind re-imagines the story of Atalanta, the legendary Greek hero. This was one of my first F/F reads and I loved the concept of Queer Greek Mythology.

The book alternates between the perspectives of Atalanta and Kahina. I loved that the author set such strong, independent female protagonists in the backdrop of ancient mythology. Both characters are likeable, well fleshed out and I couldn't help but root for them.

The writing and the plot are also wonderful. I was quite surprised when I found out that this was a debut novel I did want some events in the ending to go better but I was nevertheless fascinated by the book.

Mich hat diese Buch interessiert weil es in der griechischen Mytologie angesiedelt ist,
Die Hauptfigur hat von Anfang an mit verschieden Widrigkeiten zu kämpfen findet aber in diesem Zge ihren richtigen Vater. Der will sie gleich, zum Wohle seines Landes, verheiraten. Die Protagonistin nutzt ihre außergewöhnliche Schnelligkeit um alle Bewerber die Ihre nicht gefallen ablehnen zu können in dem sie als Voraussetzung für eine Heirat fordert, dass der Bewerber sie bei einem Wettlauf besiegen muss.
Anfänglich habe mir das Setting und die Charaktere gut gefallen. Es gab einen schönen Spannungsbogen. Leider riss dieser nach dem x-ten gewonnenen Wettlauf. Weder von der Hauptfigur noch von anderen Charakteren wurde die Handlung vorangetrieben.
Ich entscheide mich extrem selten dafür ein Buch nicht zuenede zu lesen, bei diesem habe ich es getan.
Schade.

What a wild experience it is to read a book and see yourself in the pages.
Finding a story that gets your knee bouncing and keeps your eyes wide is precious reading time.
Outrun The Wind by Elizabeth Tammi is that book for me.
Beautifully written characters make it easy to relate to and become invested in.
From Atalanta’s abrupt life changes, to Kahina’s, Elizabeth Tammi captures so clearly what it’s like to live without answers in a world of uncertainty.
Tammi finds the truth in what it’s like to follow that burn deep down that drives you to search for answers.
A very important story that should be read, especially during times like these.
New surroundings, new love, new battles to win, Outrun the Wind is a riveting new take on Greek Mythology.
A must read!
I couldn’t recommend this book more if I tried!

Thank you Flux & NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy!

For the most part I liked the book. I have a fondness for stories surrounding Greek gods, legends and lore - and of course with strong independent female leads. In those respects Out Run the Wind ticked all the boxes.

However though it had a gripping start, a lot of the middle just felt like... the middle. I was waiting for something bigger to happen, for the bar to be raised high and for the stakes to get even steeper - personally I found that it didn't. There was a great beginning, a really long mostly monotonic middle and then a pretty decent ending.

This was another one of those books where I felt there could have been more. There was a great foundation laid for characters, settings and surprises, and yet I still felt like that teacher who is desperately waiting on the edge hope for her favourite pupil to finally realise their potential.

Even though the kid doesn't quite get there, they make enough steady progress that at the end of the day you're right back to rooting for them to succeed..

The story of Atalanta is one of my favorite tales in Greek mythology and kudos to Elizabeth Tammi for writing such a creative retelling.

I enjoyed reading this book but there were many parts in the story that didn't sit well with me.

*more thoughts to come*

Recently, I've been on a streak of really bad YA novels, and unfortunately, I have yet another book to add to the pile. Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi was brought to my attention by a friend who knew how much I loved both the Huntresses of Artemis from the Percy Jackson series and queer stories. This book, a sapphic love story between Kahina, a huntress of Artemis, and the Greek heroine Atalanta, should have been an easy five stars from me. Instead, I struggled and struggled to read it, only choosing to not DNF due to a masochistic tendency to think "maybe it'll get better". Spoiler alert, it didn't. Here's my five reasons why.


Warning: This review will contain both minor and major spoilers


1. Characters were flat and poorly written


My biggest issue while reading this was that the two main characters, Atalanta and Kahina, were extremely poorly written. The book alternates chapters between the two characters and frankly, if it weren't for the chapter titles telling me who was narrating, I would not have been able to differentiate the two of them. Even though they come from very different backgrounds, have extremely different problems, they sounded exactly alike. Atalanta was weirdly naive for a girl who'd been raised by LITERAL BEARS for the first five years of her life, then raised by hunters until adulthood. Early on in the book, her birth father manages to find her and bring her back to her birthplace, but mostly because his kingdom is struggling and he needs to marry someone off to make an alliance and get money and resources. And Atalanta just... rolls with it? She goes from not knowing anything about her family at all to suddenly being super protective of people she's barely had more than two lines of conversation with.

Kahina, somehow, was even worse. In the beginning of the book, she makes a sudden decision to save Atalanta from getting murdered from Artemis' boar. Artemis, naturally, gets angry because she went against direct orders, and punishes her by banishing her from the Hunt. Kahina then spends the next 50% of the book whining and complaining about how all of this is Atalanta's fault and how much she hates Atalanta for putting her in this situation. Umm no girl. This is your fault.


2. The setting didn't feel like ancient Greece


For a book literally based on Greek mythos, the setting felt remarkably bland. If you were to change the names of the cities, some of more Greek-sounding characters, and not mention the words chiton or sandal, this book could have been set in the most generic of European fantasy-lands. Where're the descriptions of culture? Dining habits? Literally any other detail that shows, not tells, the reader that this is ancient Greece? I felt like the author decided that because her characters were characters in Greek mythos, that that the world building could just stop there.

3. The book was poorly researched


Not only was setting badly world built, it was also poorly researched. About 30% of the way in, there's a line about Kahina teaching Atalanta dining etiquette and shows her what a fork is. A quick Google search will tell you that a fork wasn't a common dining utensil until the Romans, aka definitely not something used by the Ancient Greeks. Another time, the author display's Atalanta's "wildness" by saying that she rode a horse without a saddle, while Kahina and another nobleman both do. Another quick Google search will show that once again, the ancient Greeks didn't use saddles. At best, they used blankets. While these may be picky complaints, they were lines that jumped out at me because for one reason or another, they didn't mesh with my (admittedly limited) knowledge of the ancient Greeks and Google quickly managed to confirm my suspicions. What's worse is that in the Author Notes, the author even mentions traveling to Greece to do more research for publication.


4. Plot points didn't feel like they mattered


Spoilers here

Going back to the book itself, one big thing that bugged me was the fact that almost none of the plot points and hurdles the characters have to face matter. In order to return to the Hunt, Kahina has to restore one of Artemis' temples that's been repurposed into a temple for Apollo. This assignment is given to Kahina about 30% of the way in. Upon arrival, Kahina inspects the temple, pries a couple rocks off, prays to Artemis instead of Apollo while kneeling in front of the temple, and leaves. For the rest of the book, Kahina does fuck all to actually attempt to restore the temple. Turns out, it didn't matter whether she did anything or not because a couple of her fellow huntresses show up to take her back anyway. Another example is Atalanta's footraces. The book makes a big deal and puts a lot of hype around Atalanta winning these footraces, day in and day out. But in the end, she just ends up being kidnapped by one of her suitors anyways, leaving the entire race to mean basically nothing.


5. Anachronisms for days


Finally, the language used felt uncomfortably modern. We get phrases like "where do we sign up?" and and "spruce it up a bit". Things are called "crazy" and "insane". My favorites (the worst offenders) are "unbuckle my sandals" (unlace? pretty sure sandals didn't have buckles back then) and "gone to hell" (Hades?? someone even curses Hades a page later). Coming back to the setting not feeling like ancient Greece, what I'm trying to say here is that there were a lot of phrases used that simply didn't fit the setting. I felt like I was reading about two modern high schoolers instead of two people actually living in Greece. Language that simply didn't fit the context of the setting is one thing that stands out to me like a sore thumb when I read.

Overall, I rate this book a 2/5. There was so much potential here, but I was simply let down.

I really enjoyed most of the book. I loved the premise, the romance, the use of Greek mythology, basically everything. But the ending made me not like the book as much.

Being a debut, there are a lot of things that I can overlook, although my biggest issue was that the book was just way too wordy! I wanted way more dialogue in many parts and found myself wanting to skim. I felt like there was a lot of over-share.

Overall, the plot was interesting enough, and I liked the story.

Why you should read Outrun the Wind:
-sapphic representation!
-it's a retelling of a figure from Greek mythology who doesn't get much attention
-fierce women who protect other women

This novel is a delightful treat for fans who enjoy Greek mythology and women. The story is told in two point of views of the main characters who find themselves drawn to each other despite their different backgrounds. Atlanta has lived her life as a fighter and the other, Kahina, owes her life amd works for the goddess Artemis. Both girls' lives are suddenly thrown into disarray when their paths cross unexpectedly by the will of the gods. How they defy fate and the gods is an interesting and wild ride!

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It was refreshing to see female leads in the setting of ancient Greece who could hold their own against any man, woman, or god. The chemistry between the two characters was also unexpected in how the author got them to get to know one other in a way that added to their mysteries as characters who knew little about one another.

I do recommend this book for anyone who loves mythology and strong female leads in a historical setting. I look forward the the next book by this author.

[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on November 18, 2018.]

''But nobody can beat fate - not even her. Nobody can outrun the wind.''

I feel like I have read a lot of fantasy this year that is along the lines of "King is not doing well, finds abandoned daughter(s) to save the kingdom" cliche, and sadly this wasn't executed in a way that stands apart. As a lover of mythology, I was really excited to be granted a review copy of Outrun the Wind and read a retelling of the Greek myth of Atalanta. For those that are familiar with the source myths, be prepared for this book's departures and liberties from the source mythology. This is a retelling and the author makes changes to make it her own, so it is worth it to read the end acknowledgements. I prefer my retellings to be a bit more of a departure/reimagining.

Outrun the Wind is told in the dual-POV of Atalanta and Kahina, and I struggled to really engage with either perspective. As the reader I was thrust into what felt like the middle of action, with the characters thinking about things that I had no reference for, and I spent much of the first 17% rather confused. Because of the dual-POV, I also found the text repetitious at times when the scene would be rehashed from the other character's perspective.

There is a f/f enemies-to-lovers romance, but unfortunately there didn't seem to be enough devoted to the budding relationship between these characters to buy into the romance. One thing that is great about first person narration is learning about the character's inner thoughts, and the tension that builds, but I feel like this was a missed opportunity here. The narrative largely fell into the pitfall of telling rather than showing.

I appreciated the underlying theme of strong women standing up for themselves in a society with strict gender expectations. Their actions are those of strong female characters, but after reading the book I am still at a loss for their inner motivations, feelings, and the growth that they experienced. This is definitely a plot driven tale, but one that I never really got fully sucked into.

Ultimately I was neither impressed or displeased with this debut fantasy. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book more had I not been familiar with the source material, but ultimately I didn't find the writing to be engaging and I struggled to be sucked in to the story. Just because this wasn't for me doesn't mean it isn't for you: if you are looking for a fast-paced mythology read with f/f romance, this book may be for you!

cw: sexism (challenged), implications of sexual assault

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC via NetGalley for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for stories about Greek Mythology and I loved the way Elizabeth Tammi took on the story about the Kalydonian Boar and Artemis's huntresses.

Strong female characters and a f/f relationship are great in the environment we are in today.

Would recommend this to anyone who loves Greek Mythology. The only thing I would ask is to dive more into the backstories of the Greek characters.

This review will be posted on my Goodreads.

*I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review."

Rating 3.75/5

Any book featuring a Greek mythology retelling had me at hello. This book focuses on the Greek gods Artemis and Apollo. It also features a little F/F romance. The concept of everything was very thought out, and you can see how meticulously the author went over everything. The rating I provided is mainly due to my expectations of this that weren't met.

First, I don't know much about Greek mythology especially that of Apollo and Artemis so I tried to research more on it and found that while there were similarities, this was still sort of flat. Which isn't all that bad - I could see the author trying to craft her own version of the retelling and it had a really great idea to start, but I don't know if because it was too rushed that the complete story was missing? I don't know how to explain it, just that it wasn't as well planned out for a writing that was scrutinized a lot for its details. In other words, at time it was *too perfect* and not enough struggle for a really successful storyline.

Also, there was very little Greek references. This could have easily been turned into any other fantasy novel with another set of same characters because there was so little Greek element. I didn't like this aspect because this was supposed to be a mythology retelling and it really wasn't. Which again is not that bad if executed well which unfortunately this missed for me.

Overall, I really like the story despite its flaws. I think it would have done better as a series (even a short duology). The F/F romance here is sweet but doesn't overwhelm the main focus of the plot.

I had very high hopes for this one, and made the mistake of going into it with expectations of other Greek Mythology inspired novels or retellings. This was a mistake, because this definitely reads more like a young adult fantasy than an adult fantasy, and besides that, I don't love comparing books and having a massive expectation for a new release.

That being said, I am absolutely all here for f/f representation in both fantasy and young adult, and the combination of the two is a winner. While this story and these characters felt a bit juvenile and two dimensional to me, I must keep in mind that I have outgrown the young adult genre in age, and this book is absolutely doing its job as a representative fantasy with f/f romance for young adults, which makes me very happy. I had a bit of trouble following the sense of place and certain characters weren't quite memorable, which at times led to me not realizing I was skimming or not following the book closely. Again, I believe this book fills a wonderful role of lgbtq+ representation in young adult, and seeing mythology-heavy fantasy novels with heroines in love is a grand thing.

To sum up, I would say don't go into this with the expectation of The Song of Achilles or another adult novel, because that's not what this is. But for a f/f romance, some mythology, and a YA fantasy, this is hopefully a frontrunner to many more novels like it.

I got a review copy from Net Galley and I am so happy that I did. I have always been fascinated by Greek Myth and love retellings. This, however, isn’t a full retelling. Atalanta was a real figure in Greek myth. I loved how Elizabeth Tammi infused fiction into the story of Atalanta to create a thrilling tale dies with love, female empowerment, and (after all, this IS Ancient Greek times) trilling battles. It was gripping and kept me enthralled the entire time I was reading.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Outrun the Wind, but once I got about 25% in, I didn't want to put it down.  It still took me awhile to finish because, life.  But it was hard to adult while reading it.



There are two narrators.  Atalanta and Kahina.   The book starts with Atalanta hunting a creature of Artemis.  She is with a boy that she loves, plus others.  Things don't go as planned.  Kahina is with Nikoleta and Isodora watching things.  They are huntresses of Artemis.  For some reason, Kahina interferes and saves Atalanta.  She was supposed to make sure nothing interfered with the will of Artemis.  Hippomenes is one of the men in Meleager's hunt.  Kahina is his cousin and she betrayed her years ago.  Artemis shows up and offers a spot to Atalanta.  But she can't join the huntresses because she loves Meleager.  Her refusal does not go over well.  



Kahina is sent away to Arkadia.   Here she meets the king, Nora, and Phelix, along with others.  Phelix is the son of the king and Nora.  The king set out to find his missing daughter.  Kahina is shocked to see that it's Atalanta.  Atalanta is told that she must marry to save the kingdom that is running out of money and supplies.  Kahina is to teach and serve her while they wait for the suitors to come.  While Kahina hates Atalanta at first, they slowly get closer.  Phelix has been a great friend, too, and they all spend a lot of time together.  Atalanta doesn't want to marry.  She and Kahina come up with a challenge that she just can't lose.  Atalanta is fast.  She runs and no one can beat her in a race.  So she decides to race all the suitors.  



So much happens that I can't get into.  And I apologize for my mess of thoughts above.  I felt that the pacing was great and I loved the strong females.  There are some trigger warnings for physical abuse and hints of sexual abuse/harassment.   I loved Kahina, Atalanta, and Phelix.  There were a lot of others that I ended up liking, too.  I enjoyed the mythology.  You'll want to read the author's note at the end which talks about the things she changed/added to the story to make it her own.



Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my copy for review.  I gave this one 4  1/2 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of the eARC in exchange for a review!

Outrun the Wind is a YA Fantasy that takes place in Ancient Greece with LGBT+ themes so I was certainly looking forward to diving into this one!


Outrun the Wind has two main protagonists - Atalanta and Kahina.

They meet when Atalanta, along with a group of hunters, are out to kill the Caledonian boar which has been wreaking havoc. Just when the boar is about to kill Atalanta, Kahina throws a knife and saves her life - and sets the events of the rest of the novel into motion.

Several months later, both girls end up in Arkadia and are reintroduced - Atalanta as the lost princess, and Kahina as her maidservant.

One absolutely fantastic aspect of Outrun the Wind is the diversity, which I tend to look for in every book I read nowadays. Kahina's mother was from Ethiopia, and so we have a black main character. The author never resorted to overused descriptors of this, which was refreshing to see. Also, rather importantly, Atalanta and Kahina fall for each other, and seeing the uncertainty and confusion of their budding relationship was heartwarming to read about.

I also love reading about friendships between women, especially when they are supporting each other and refusing to tear each other down. Even when Nikolata offered to race Atalanta, it remained friendly.

An important theme of this novel is the agency of the protagonists - Atalanta refuses to bow to her father's wishes and choose a suitor, while Kahina doesn't want any more girls to be stolen away by Apollo and her cousin Hippomenes to Delphi. These girls never back down when the world seems to be against them, and their strength is inspiring.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Outrun the Wind, and it is a strong debut. It is not a perfect novel - sometimes the pacing felt a little off, and events could get just a little confused - but it was well written and fiercely, unashamedly feminist.

I gave this one 4 stars, and look forward to seeing more of Tammi's work in the future! There is such a wealth of stories in Greek mythology, and the author did an excellent job of taking one of these stories and making it her own.

If books keep surprising me like this, I am going to have a meltdown.

This book is not only all about mythology, specifically set in Ancient Greece, but we are following a f/f romance which I WASN'T EXPECTING. Yes, these times were not great for women but that doesn't stop our main characters. The two girls are named Atalanta and Kahina. Atalanta is a warrior and Kahina is a huntress of Artemis, HOW COOL! They are fantastic characters with a lot of heart and personality. I cared for them as they set on their mission that is full of surprises. They both fight for their freedom and respect and in the process their lives intertwine and a solid partnership forms.

My one flaw was that I could tell this was the authors debut novel. The pacing was a bit awkward. The world building was lacking, but I adored these characters too much that I NEEDED to give this a high anyways. I am looking forward to Tammi's future releases. It's something to keep your eye out for!

I love mythology. I'm a sucker for a good retelling and I'm always looking for a new take on a classic story. The idea of this intrigued me. Atalanta's story, like most myths, isn't known for it's happy ending. I wanted to see how the author would weave a f/f relationship into a classic myth while maintaining the elements that make Atalanta famous.

While the premise was intriguing, the execution was less than so. I struggled through the entire reading to really get into the book and it took me almost the entire book to identify what it was that turned me off. The author has taken an ancient myth and setting and placed 21st century girls into it. The characters act, speak, and think in voices that reflect a modern day woman, and yet they are living in a very different time than this. The characters felt out of place to me and it really bothered me. I couldn't believe the story because of this. The dialogue especially felt wrong. It could have been taken out of any teen novel that is set in high school. That shouldn't be the case! I understand the characters are teenagers, but they still would have conducted themselves in a manner far different than what I was given. Because I was struggling the entire time to reconcile these two different time frames I didn't enjoy the book.

A change in voice for the characters could easily clear up all my problems with the book.

An enjoyable fantasy read, easy read and intriguing.

I had requested the book as I was intrigued by the Greek Mythology behind it however the book reads more fantasy (which is not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting!) A part from the Greek names it didn't feel very 'Greek Mythology' to me.

Still an enjoyable read and worth the time!